DKMS disaster with multiple kernels

Hi all. A few days ago, i receieved a linux-image update form the repos, and since i was using a manually installed driver, i lost support for fglrx in the current kernel (2.6.24-18-generic). Trying to solve this issue manually, i bumped into a lot of problems, but in the end, all seemed to point to DKMS. on startx, fglrx complianed about "Multiple version found in DKMS, Unsure what to do. Resolve manually" and reverted to Mesa.

After some disappointing google, i found some threads in french on mandriva forums about a DKMS kernel mixup with more than one image installed. Since i had no experience with DKMS, i ended up uninstalling every kernel image prior to current, remove --purge dkms && install DKMS, and any trace of fglrx to get a clean slate to work on.

Then i used the "ubuntu method" for the first time, and it worked (only after i rememebered to enable the fglrx module i had blacklisted before, silly me), but got a little concerned aboput this esoteric kernel mixup using the manual method with recent kernel updates.

I wanted to put some notice in the How-to, but since i didn't have much patience and quickly reverted to the "clean slate and auto install" way, i didn't know how to explain it effectively.

Could someone lookup this up and see how to put it in the wiki? I'm not sure, but i think that something in the line of "If you are having problems getting X to start with fglrx, or fglrx complains about multiple versions in dkms, you should probably check your multiple kernel setup", but this hardly explains the issue, and i really don't know anything in more detail.

I hope someone will be able to chek into this. 209.88.159.4 12:29, 5 June 2008 (CDT)

Thanks for giving some information about this problem. I also experienced that the fglrx module was not loading correctly after a kernel update (2.6.24-18-generic). I also used the manual method to install fglrx (8.4.276). What I did was to remove the module in dkms, then add, rebuild and install for the current kernel. I think that before I ran the dkms commands below, that I already had fglrx.ko in:
/var/lib/dkms/fglrx/8.476/2.6.24-18-generic/i686/module/. I am not sure if was already installed /lib/modules/2.6.24-18-generic/updates/dkms.

The dkms commands I ran (depend on the module source still being in /usr/src/fglrx-8.476):

Anyway, it is probably enough to just build and install the module with dkms. I could not find the 737-34288 article at ati.com, although it is mentioned there. The issue I had might be related, but I am not sure. Guess I have to install 8.5 and wait for a kernel update ;) Whocarez 12:02, 7 June 2008 (CDT)

X RandR

Can we enable the fglrx on RandR and do not write any things on xorg.conf?

packages vs. installer

What is everyone's opinion on the build-packages method versus running the automated installer?

I think we should start having a section explaining the install procedure with the auto-installer to, as begun on this page.

---Alroger, 20/08/2008
Just installed the new Catalyst 8.8 using the automated installer. Worked fine. I have used this wiki's procedure for the previous version 8.7.

This was the most helpful and concise explanation I found anywhere. It helped me no end. Couple of things though. My system couldn't find a library even though I had it installed. It was only in lib32 and lib64 so I copied a link to the lib folder. This was libGL.so.1.

Importantly, this installed the proprietary drivers but still didn't give me the hardware acceleration I needed. By accident I found that adding Option "TexturedVideo" under the Driver "fglrx" worked perfectly.

Thank you to the author.

Installation guide not working for 8.476

Hi,

It seems to me that the driver installation guide of 8-4 (8.476) does not work on Ubuntu 8.04. Following step-by-step the guide (method 2), I allways end up with 8.473 installed and running (while the system contains only 8.476 packages). If all instances, packages and modules of driver 8.473 are manually purged before 8.476 installation, the whole process ends up with the nonfunctional 3D (using mesa driver)

--- Eugenio, 10:30(CET), Tuesday, 22th April 2008

Eugenio, I have only tested it on a fresh install of Hardy, with only the mesa driver installed previously.
I updated the guide to 8.476 and am worried that it fails on some machines.

--- ilcavero

Thanks for your effort to solve the problem. I've been also looking for the solution on my local Ubuntu forum. I've met the other Ubuntu 8.04 who encountered the exactly same problem. After a week of googling and searching we still have found no solution. However, I found some notices on the web and it says, that the problem will be hopefully solved with the release of ubuntu 8.04.1 on July 6th. On the other hand, the previous driver 8.3 (8.473) works pretty well and hence there is no urgent need to install 8.4.

-- Eugenio, 9:00(CET), Sunday 27th April 2008

might this be related to my comment above about dkms and multiple versions? the symptons seem to be the same... 209.88.159.4 12:30, 5 June 2008 (CDT)

Cleanup

I did a little cleanup and formatting, and clarified the configuration section in Method 2. I inserted a comment about TexturedVideo on the newer cards for Xv, as well. I hope nobody minds. --Porter 08:11PM EDT 29 April 2008

I've also done a little cleanup on method two. I removed some extra steps that were not needed and rephrased some of the text so that it flows better. I also changed some incorrect statements. --Compwiz18 07:56, 22 May 2008 (CDT)

Updating a manually installed driver

Would it be good to add some notes on how to update the driver when new releases are available. I'm a little unsure of this myself; is it as simple as building the packages as per the instructions and doing the usual sudo apt-get install or is there more to it?

There is no auto-update routine as of yet. Upgrading will require a simple download, build, and install per the existing method. --Porter 02:10PM EDT 06 May 2008

OK, thanks. I should also mention I did a manual install on a clean install of Kubuntu Hardy - everything is fine but the restricted drivers GUI tool (jockey-kde) notes that fglrx is "In Use" AND "enabled". Shouldn't be any need to panic :)

"In USE" and "ENABLED" is also shown by Restricted drivers manager in Gnome after using the second manual instalation method. However, the driver works fine.

--- Eugenio, 10:45(CET), Monday, 12th May 2008

Additional xorg.conf Edits

AIGLX

A while back, I think in feisty it was recommended to add
Option "AIGLX" "off"
to xorg.conf to get compiz to work.
This will need to be removed when removing xgl or the desktop will break.

My problems (and solutions) installing on x86_64

I've had a problem creating the package from the installer that I got from ATI's website. It complained about not finding libGL.so.1, but I didn't have any file such as /usr/lib/libGL.*

p.s. A warning about the special case for 64 bit should be above the installation instructions, not below, as some people might follow step-by-step and not notice those instructions :)
(I'm always uneasy about directly editing wiki pages myself)

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Thank you, this worked on my Hardy/x86_64 machine as well.

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On my dual-head setup on Ubuntu 8.04 the computer would freeze on logout (reboot, shutdown, etc.) with Catalyst 8.6 drivers. Disabling compiz would let one get into the desktop. If you run fglrxinfo or glxinfo the program would not exit normally (had to use CTRL+C). Also some terminated Opengl apps would linger eating up (lots of) CPU cycles. I had to go back to Catalyst 8.5 drivers. With 8.5 anything with Opengl on the secondary screen would crash (and crash Ubuntu). Other than that there remains some issues with video tearing, and DRI related bugs, but with VLC on "X11 video output" the movies are good enough (except for the tearing which sometimes looks too awful (esp on scenes with flickering lights)). Am able to play and develop OpenGL on screen 0 (played quite a bit of Nexuiz).

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Crashes with x86_64 and more that 2 gigs of RAM

It seems that the combination of fglrx, more than 2 gigs of RAM and certain motherboards will cause X to crash hard. More details can be found here:

The workaround is to disable memory remapping in the motherboard bios. Unfortunately, this also reduces the amount of memory accessible to the system.

Tri-head configuration

I am trying to set up a triple head system using an on board HD3200 and a discrete HD3470 card on Ubuntu 8.04. When the HD3470 is not installed, the fglrx driver works fine with the integrated video. But with the HD3470 card plugged in, I am only able to get the HD3470 card to work. /var/log/Xorg.0.log shows this error with the integrated video card:

Searching around the internet, I've only found 1 more instance of someone else having this problem.
I've tried with Surround View setting in the system BIOS enabled and disabled. Seems like either a BIOS or driver issue.

Aticonfig seems to recognize that there are two video cards in the system, but could only get one to work at a time.

Update: I have just verified that this setting works under Windows XP (playing flight simulator) with the default drivers that came with the motherboard (Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H), and can be configured out to 4 displays. So despite the report by the fglrx driver that the BIOS signature is invalid, the hardware is working in the tri-head mode (under WinXP). I am thinking that there is some sort of BIOS verification error in the linux ATI driver that, once fixed, could allow for a tri-head configuration. I will just have to wait for version 7.8 or 7.9 to come out soon. Hoping...

Refresh rate renders the screen blank

I was stepping through the instructions for "Method 1: Install the driver the Ubuntu Way."

pointed out that I had left the Screen as the default and insisted that it had fixed things up for me.

My problem is on reboot, it goes through POST and then... the screen goes blank. I do get an error message of sorts from the display, as it shows one frequency for the horizontal and one for the vertical, and then I can only pick button 1 (exit) to see my blank screen.

I am not even sure how to proceed at this point, and would welcome any suggestions.

On my machine the following commands at the end of method 2 installation routine (8.8 catalyst) produced no results or errors.

sudo aticonfig --initial -f

and

sudo aticonfig --input=/etc/X11/xorg.conf --tls=1

My guess is that the new installer does this automatically for you during the install.